A topping of spicy cole slaw cuts the fatty pork belly in an open-faced sandwich.

A topping of spicy cole slaw cuts the fatty pork belly in an open-faced sandwich.

Photo: Helen L. Montoya, San Antonio Express-News

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Salmon sashimi includes a fennel and pineapple salad.

Salmon sashimi includes a fennel and pineapple salad.

Photo: Helen L. Montoya, San Antonio Express-News

Review | Nosh

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In nearly any kitchen, the presence of chef Luca Della Casa pretty much guarantees good food.

From his time working with Andrew Weissman at Le Rêve to serving as Weissman's executive chef at Il Sogno and then going on his own, including some time consulting at Fralo's Art of Pizza, Della Casa has consistently brought confident and respectful treatment of good ingredients that yields a series of well-balanced flavors.

At his latest gig, heading the kitchen at Nosh, he is in top form.

The restaurant itself, on the bottom floor of Silo restaurant, has been around since 2009, aiming to present small plates to accompany good wines and beers. The new chef reworked the entire menu and the resulting the food is straightforward, unfussy and deeply satisfying.

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In a standout lineup of all-star dishes, it's almost unfair to select one that stands out. Perhaps it's the butternut squash ravioli, the fresh pasta served slightly al dente and filled with a beautiful purée that highlighted the natural sweetness of the star vegetable. One time it had barely a touch of heat from dried chiles, and on another visit, the heat was imperceptible. Both versions were beautiful.

Another favorite: a pizza called The Bomb, done with a thin Naples-style crust and a slightly spicy tomato sauce, soppressata, capers, red onion, mozzarella and cilantro. It's not a revolutionary pizza combination, but it's an excellent one with the sauce bringing brightness and a touch of heat, bits of brininess from the capers and the meaty goodness of the soppressata that could make you swear off pepperoni. With all these other big flavors, the assertive cilantro is tamed and just adds an herby note.

The fried risotto balls, or arancini, are bites of perfection. Any home or pro cook who wants to experience this dish as it should be rendered should try these to calibrate the palate. Other pasta dishes and a lovely Parmesan risotto that pairs with an order of braised short ribs turn out beautifully.

But even though Della Casa may be most at home with his northern Italian approach, this menu includes flavors from other parts of the world.

For example, a salmon sashimi included rectangles of the fish on either side of a shaved fennel and diced pineapple salad, all arranged to look like a bit like a dragonfly. The plating seemed playful, rather than contrived, and the flavors were on the mark.

A beef tartare of two quenelles with a drizzle of Dijon mustard proved another success, with capers and cornichons contributing their own texture and flavors to the minced raw beef. A couple of slices of grilled bread just add to the goodness. If you're not a steak tartare fan, this one might win you over.

A version of curry chicken salad added curry yogurt and diced golden beets to the usual ingredients of grapes, celery and walnuts, and the combination elevated above the usual.

A slight touch of curry also enlivened an open-faced sandwich, with a slice of rich pork belly contrasting with spicy cole slaw on a slice of grilled baguette. The contrasts of ingredients were sublime.

The only stumble came in otherwise excellent wild boar sliders, Della Casa's version of a pulled pork sandwich. One of the sandwiches included meat that had a chunk of fat. Clearly, the pork should have been pulled more carefully.

Because the plates are small, the restaurant recommends diners order two or three plates each for a full dinner. A nice beer and wine list also provides plenty of options for a half-flights of three small glasses or a full flight of six.

One advantage of having Silo upstairs is list of dessert wines and ports from the mother ship. Any number of them would go with a dessert of a transcendent tiramisu that renders most other versions moot or an item called fried sweet gnocchi. These finger-shaped potato dumplings, deep-fried and rolled in sugar, look like small churros. On the side is a dollop of Nutella; the other side of the plate holds a dollop of a house-made dulce de leche.